The Uber smartphone and tablet application, a ride-sharing service, has arrived in Greece. The new service allows non-professional drivers to turn their private cars into taxis and offer transport services. The service is likely to harm taxi services as it is a dirct form of competition.

Uber will develop three types of services in Athens: UberX for non-professional drivers, UberBlack for drivers with SUVs who have professional licenses and UberTaxi for cab drivers.

It should be noted that Greece’s legislative framework forbids non-professional drivers from offering driving services. This however hasn’t thwarted Uber’s hopes of operating in Greece and moving beyond the capital with services in Thessaloniki, Patra and island hotspots such as Rhodes and Santorini.

How Uber works
* Tap onto the application to set your pickup location
* Request a ride and a driver will accept
* Enter the address or name of your destination
* After pickup, uber shows the driver where you’re going
* You get to see the route